I stayed in a cabin through this company (American Spirit #399), the weekend of October 14-16, 2010, with 7 other adults and a 8 month old. It was beautiful, serene, and perfect EXCEPT, after we had been there an hour I turned back the sheets in the "Bear Creek Lodge" room and a (what I had no idea at the time was a bedbug) went scurrying quickly across the sheets. I trapped it with a washcloth and my husband observed the bug and flushed it down the toilet. We discussed it among ourselves and

the other guests and someone joked that, "It was a bedbug". Having no information on such things, or what they looked like we paused for a moment and forgot about it. We did not contact the rental company or management. We simply were uneducated on such things.

We slept peacefully and out of paranoia checked the top part of the sheets and completely turned down, the bed, but did not check the mattress. Luckily we saw no more bugs but the one and did not obtain any bites.

Upon some recent research and education on bed bugs my husband and I were shocked to discover it in fact had been a bed bug. We have spent the last few hours reassuring ourselves that none had traveled home with us or surely we would have had bites and seen them around the house by now. I was so upset and scared when we found out what "could" have happened, especially with our premature 8 month old having stayed with us (which was also his first and only getaway up to this point). This has scared us as a family and we have never had to be "afraid" of where to stay etc. The last trip we had taken was over 2 years prior (and the luggage has been kept in our main closets at home), and we have never traveled overseas etc. So, I know we couldn't have carried it in.

I was deeply saddened to have to file this report. It was a beautiful cabin and trip, but we just can't get the awful memory of that bug scurrying across the sheets. I'm not saying people should avoid these cabins, but take note, check all surroundings, educate yourself when you travel so if you do notice a problem it can be reported and resolved.

I am also very disturbed to have read in the FAQ section on bedbugs to "be alert for several months"! This is absolutely horrible!